Franciscan 64, Geneva 90

Franciscan Starters 
Sophie LaRose, Chiara MacGillivray, Jazzlyn Melnyk, Lauren Arena, Kylie Panizza  

Geneva Starters
San Nicolas, Matthews, Ross, Haring, Bucheit

How It Happened 
In the second of a three game road trip, the Franciscan Barons fell to the Geneva Golden Tornadoes 64-90. The Barons largely improved their offense since last game, but it still wasn't enough against Geneva's full-court defense.

Jazzlyn Melnyk began the game with an offensive onslaught, putting up 11 points, five rebounds, four steals in the first quarter alone. The junior guard couldn't miss on the perimeter, going a perfect 3-3 from downtown. The Barons did a great job passing in order to create open looks. In the first quarter, 4 of their 6 made field goals were made from assists. In her second start of the season, freshmen guard Kylie Panizza quickly contributed to the offense, starting with an assist to a Jazzlyn Melnyk three. Melnyk returned the favor, passing the ball to Panizza to knock down the short jumper. While the offense was running on all cylinders, the Golden Tornadoes kept responding with baskets of their own. The first quarter ended with both teams tied up 17-17.

In the second quarter, the Barons had a hard time getting any offense going. Chiara MacGillivray got her first points on the board by landing a layup and knocking down two free throws. Meanwhile, the Golden Tornadoes shot lights-out from three, draining six three-pointers in the second quarter alone. The Barons lost many offensive possessions due to turnovers, and Geneva kept knocking down shots. The second quarter ended with the Barons down 42-30.

Both teams struggled to land any shots to start the third quarter. Four minutes in, Jazzlyn Melnyk finally ended the Baron's scoring drought with a three-pointer. Still, the offense couldn't push through the Golden Tornadoes' full-court press. On the defensive end, the Barons couldn't protect the rim without fouling, allowing Geneva to increase their lead with free throws. By the end of the third quarter, the Barons were still down 43-58.

Coming into the fourth quarter, Franciscan knew they had to play at full throttle. Lauren Arena and Sophie LaRose both punished the interior, going on an 8-3 run in the first few minutes. The Barons also played excellent team defense, leading to multiple steals. Unfortunately, the Golden Tornadoes continued their hot shooting, landing back-to-back threes to make it a 20 point lead. With only four minutes remaining, Geneva was able to ride out the game, ending with a score of 64-90.

Inside the Numbers 
-Franciscan's 64 rebounds is the most in a game for the Barons.

-Jazzlyn Melnyck had a her third double double of the season with 15 points and 14 rebounds.
- Lauren Arena had a career best 10 rebounds on the night.
- Ilena Gonzales added nine points off the bench.
- Geneva's San Nicolas led all scorers with 20 points. 

Up Next 
Franciscan will remain on the road for a PAC matchup against Thiel on Wednesday night in Greenville. The Barons are 1-1 all-time against the Tomcats with a win last season in their one matchup which was at Greenville. In last season's win, Madison Doan had 28 points while going 10-10 from the charity stripe. Franciscan would be dominate from start to finish to win by a score of 59-43. Thiel has just one win this season, which came in conference play when they beat Waynesburg 55-53.

Stay Connected 
Be sure to follow Franciscan Athletics on Youtube, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for the most in-depth coverage.